Wheel of Fortune
by Dark Desdemona
Summary: She was a warrior once but her heart was lost...only insanity remained. In the world without challenges, she invented her own...and these newcomers are the perfect distraction that she needed...This is her story
1. Wheel of Fortune

**A/N (16/7/09): Now a series of one-shots. I'm combining all the fortune series into this one. Sorry for those who prefer it to be a series of separate one-shots.**

**Dislaimer: I own nothing**

**Summary: Barricade should know better than to bet against the devil who smiled like an angel...**

* * *

"You know they won't win," she said to him. "Your Decepticon friends I mean."

A deep rumble came from the car that was parked beside her, the decepticon insignia proudly displayed on its doors. "That remains to be seen."

Instead of being afraid, the Japanese merely smiled serenely. "Loyalty to a leader like Megatron…I can't really understand it." She received no reply from the irate mech. "Saa…there's no need to be so sullen, Barricade-kun. I know how it feels to dedicate yourself to a cause so thoroughly that it defines your very being."

"Your life doesn't concern me," the mech growled. "When I recover…."

"If," she cut him short. "If, Barricade-kun. Not when. Do you really think that these injuries of yours can really heal without treatment?" Blue eyes looked over to him with mirth. "Think again."

She had been the one to severe his transformation cog and also the one to disconnect many of his motor function and yet allowed him to live still.

Not being able to move was the only thing that stopped Barricade to offline himself from shame.

"I am a child compared to your race, but you have to remember, my dearest NBE," the innocent smile that graced her lips was a direct contrast to her poisonous words. "In human terms, I am ancient. I am old and as we get older, we also become wiser." The glint in her eyes intensified as she watched at the scene where Bonecrusher was offlined by Optimus' sword - the satellite imaging was too easy so easy to hack into that she didn't have to think twice about it. "And as many before me, this once-selfless priestess learned that sometimes…living for others is a waste of time."

Barricade couldn't help his dark laughter at that. "You, selfless? Please forgive me if I cannot imagine that."

She winked at him. "You're forgiven," the bubbly girl chirped. "Where was I? Oh yes, after I learned that particular lesson, I thought, hey, do I really want to live the rest of my life like this? Chained by others' expectations and demands without thinking of my own well-being?

"It took me some decades before I realized that no…it's not worth it," the girl did a little twirl when the large monitor showed the buildings in Mission City collapsing from the battle between the two factions. "So I learned to live for myself."

Her voice dropped into a dramatic hush. Behind her, Megatron ripped the Autobot Jazz into two. "That's when I came in contact with that God of yours that is trapped inside the forsaken Cube."

"The Allspark," Barricade supplied.

She waved his help away. "Whatever it is, I know whoever it belongs to will be coming and so I waited. Humans get boring after a while and the wars are repetitive." When she laughed, the energy field around her thrummed, the signals were not lost to him – not when the other origin he had felt it from was the very thing all Cybertronian had been looking for.

"So I waited and waited and I was rewarded," the raven haired girl giggled. "So many of you fell into this world and yet most of the time, you can't even recognize one of your own when you pass each other. Silly, silly mechs."

Realization dawned like light that shone through a thick cloud. "You have the AllSpark."

"A part of it, yes," the easy admission came as a surprise to him. "Only a little. But we are connected, _them _and I."

"Then why didn't you come forward? Why do all this roundabout way to bring us all down?" the mech demanded, furious at the idea that all Cybertronians had been her playthings to begin with.

The energy field around her intensified but her visage remained serene even when the Cube was shoved into Megatron's chest. Barricade flinched at the loss of his leader – not that he took this demise as a personal loss of a close one but rather because of the bet he lost by the villain's very death.

"Maa, maa, Barricade-kun," the blue eyes of his captor shone with unholy glee, not acknowledging his previous question at all. "I told you so."

His sensors scanned the humanoid femme beside him, feeling the AllSpark energy field expanded significantly before it receded. Now he knew that there was no way he could have won against her in the first place – that at least gave him a slight consolation in front of the fate that was about to befell him.

"So you did," he agreed. Although his spark protested with all its might, he knew that he was bound by honor to follow through their agreement. "What do we do now, Kagome-sama?"

The trill of laughter that washed over his audio sensors was grating. "It's Kagome or Kagome-chan, Barricade-kun. I want a guardian, not a slave."

But no matter what she said to make light of the situation, they both knew the cold hard truth.

He was hers, both in mind and body.

And he knew that before long, she would be going after his soul too.

Knowing this, Barricade cursed Megatron for dying but deep, deep inside, he kicked himself for agreeing to the bet in the first place.

* * *

A**/N: Just a drabble, please don't comment on the lack of details. Let your imagination flesh it all out...or perhaps I will...in time.**

**Hm, a plot bunny. Does it inspire anyone to cross this particular series?**


	2. Serendipitous Encounter

**Disclaimer: Still not mine, last time I checked**

_She didn't really want to treat him like that at first. Honest! _

_The now plain black car (a color he adopted when she insisted that he change his alt form,) that was occupying the vast warehouse she rented as her temporary base, was recharging and in this form, the mech looked almost harmless but. The Japanese knew that he was anything but._

_The last Higurashi had never expected anyone or anything to intrude into her solitary life, much less entering it with the subtlety of a stone thrown into a glasshouse. Unknown to her 'guardian', she was as disturbed as he was with this arrangement but unlike him, she hadn't found it in her to regret that bet._

_The girl sighed and turned in her cot, trying to avoid thinking just how difficult it would be to hide both of them seeing that now she had received more of the Cube's power and Barricade was not entirely unknown as well._

_Revelation was inevitable; she had never expected to stay hidden forever. But when the moment came, she much preferred it to be on her own term._

_Rolling over, Kagome Higurashi closed her eyes again, trying to combat the myriad of depressing thoughts that threaten to engulf her resting time._

* * *

All she wanted that day was a brief reprieve from the boredom that had been plaguing her since the last time a mech fell from the sky. Humans had served as the focal point of her interest then and the politics were quite a wildcard to play with sometimes, but after a decade, it lost its novelty. Politics in youkai court centuries ago was much more interesting – and more cutthroat, literally.

For her who had gone through one major youkai war (battle with Naraku not withstanding) in the first three centuries of her immortalized life and countless youkai and human skirmishes alike, the current state of world docility was disconcerting not to mention it dulled her honed senses to the extent that she had to cook up some elaborate schemes to challenge herself.

But a single player could only play two sides in a game for so long before the rush dissipated.

So when she encountered this one Decepticon racing out the highway from Tranquility City, she didn't think. Her bike was tearing the lanes faster than she could say 'Inuyasha' – a name she had ironically, bestowed her red and silver bike with.

"Hello, Cybertronian," she had greeted him and as she had watched with no little awe his smooth transformation from a car into his bipedal mode in mere seconds while still retaining his speed. Kagome reminded herself that it was moments like these that made her heart pounded with excitement and the adrenaline in her veins to rush at the signs of danger those mechanical claws represented. Beneath the helmet, she smirked.

When he charged towards her, she couldn't contain the psychotic laughter that escaped her throat. In this youkai-less world, these were the only beings who could match her. She thrived in their presence because they reminded her of how it felt to risk her life in a battle. But most of all, she reveled in the return of the familiar bloodlust that once made her known as the most dangerous General in Sesshoumaru's army.

But Barricade – as she found out later, while strong was not meant to be the one to conquer her. He prevailed, true, but in the end she was still victorious. Then again, there was not many in this world who could measure against her ki whip and additional EMP charge she had developed specifically for these types of situation.

Again, she praised whoever set her up with _them_ even if she had to constantly hear their mechanical buzzing in her mind.

Though he lost, he was still interesting– him and his fellow warriors who all wore that purple insignia. So she kept him, taking him back into her current lair; a warehouse-type house near the edge of Tranquility, a place where all her nifty gadgets were kept and ran twenty-four seven to watch the sky and earth of Cybertronian activities.

Cybertronian, as _they_ had perceived, was once a single race filled with stagnation and lack of development due to peace. One day though, the High Protector, Megatron, instead of protecting the planet as he was wont to do, suddenly turn against the very society that he was sworn to guard with his Spark.

And that incite a war in which _they _were then released into space as an act of desperation.

To think that at first she had thought that they were alien race coming to explore. There was so many vorns(1) missing from her story. _They _only knew so much. _Their_ isolation in this primitive planet filled with organics, brimming with energy and unidentifiable magic in the air had effectively cut off the connection between _them_ and _their _creation.

So, without further ado and without any reservation, the miko slipped into her prisoner's mind and gather the necessary information from his memories.

One good thing about getting in contact with the weird non-Earth Cube was her understanding of the workings of this species; memory core was not impenetrable and with the residual miko power in her body and her knowledge about mind meld, the raven haired girl tug on the bond between her and _them_ and let _their_ power flowed through her, assisting her in reading the alien's memories.

It was then she learned about the horrors in this Great War that tore the thickest armor of her blackened heart.

_Your children have strayed too far from their designated roles, _she sent down the vague bond she had with the sentient hidden within the ice that she had once encountered. _They_ hummed in reply but the mental buzzing dimmed just before the mech in front of her onlined.

_But as it is, they're mine now…the ones who I can get under me. _Kagome smirked. _They _thrummed angrily but that was all _they_ could do. _Power corrupts and you are the embodiment of their ultimate power. You truly wonder why they chase after you for vorns, my friends? This is Earth and as for now, this is _my _turf._

_Do as you wish,_ they seemed to whisper but she couldn't be too sure.

Then, she prepared to greet her guest properly and to add some taunts to his rage and see if she could make those threats he was spewing out somewhat more creative than 'aft'(2) or 'slagger'(3).

"Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty," Kagome greeted with an excited grin which stretched wider at the string of Cybertronian curses flowing from the sealed mech's vocaliaser.

She hadn't had so much fun in years!

* * *

Days passed by idly and Barricade's system had managed to repair his more prominent damage while Kagome took care of the cosmetic, with her patron kicking and screaming (figuratively) all the way through the process.

Three days had passed and while he was still sore over his defeat and imprisonment, Barricade had enough sense not to provoke his host so an uneasy truce (on his side) was called.

That gave Kagome enough time to monitor the new arrivals' movement. Seeing the Autobots racing through the expressway towards Hoover Dam made the essence of the _AllSpark_ oozed slightly from her body, seeking _their_ children who were coming closer and closer to _their_ container.

A new war on Earth would begin soon and she had the front seat view via the satellite she hacked and displayed into her brand new LCD screen. Despite being an immobile sentient, Kagome was admittedly surprised and awed that the AllSpark was still able to connect to a certain extent to its creations.

The feeling of Sparks in that Hoover Dam battle was electrifying if Kagome lowered her mental guard slightly.

"Hey human!"

Tucking away the presence in her mind to suppress the excess energy in her body, Kagome stood up to greet her guest properly, the large computer screen behind her displaying a line of fancy cars drove speedily on barren road. A battle was coming; both knew this and she knew that this was one battle he couldn't miss even if he could not participate

"Your friends aren't going to win this one, you know," she blithely commented to the police cruiser parked behind her about the inevitable that would occur soon. In her large garage, having him faced her computer was simple and the LCD screen was displaying the hacked satellite images perfectly.

There was a rev of machines and mechanical whirring but she didn't feel threatened – not even a little. She had taken him down when he could still stand, there was no way she could be scared when he had lost his ability to transform.

Grinning, the last Higurashi thanked her luck and _them_ for giving her thorough anatomy lessons of the Cybertronians.

"They are not my friends," the mech said, spitting out the last word like poison.

"Ah, ah, ah, they are still _yours_ though," the Japanese grinned, returning to look at the escalating battle on the highway with glee. Hm? They were heading towards a civilization, Mission City, if she wasn't mistaken. "Such a waste of good weaponry. I would love to get my hands on their scraps." Red tongue slipped out, licking her lips like a predator. "The Red Masks will win by a slide, I'm sure of it."

A harsh grinding laugh echoed in the hollow room. "Those Autobots? They are weak, useless. Their punches are as soft as their sparks! There is no way in Pit they're going to come up victorious!"

Kagome, hearing that, laughed long and hard. She had seen what those Red Masks could do, what they would do to protect the humans and while she was a pessimist, she knew the power behind desperation to protect something precious from threats.

And that lesson was not learnt by this mech just yet – either that or he had forgotten.

"Wanna bet?" her grin was feral and her eyes challenging; a prideful creature was always the best ones to be knocked down and this one's attitude practically _begged_ her to do it.

Barricade, as she had correctly deduced, was never one to back down from a challenge, no matter if it came from a fleshling. "What are the terms?"

Kagome adopted a faux-thinking pose, tapping her fingers against her chin as she looked at the ceiling for inspiration. "If Autobots win – which they will – you'll be my guardian."

Loss of freedom. It was her term. With a small smirk, she waited for the other warrior to make up his mind.

"If they lose, you'll repair me and _your_ life is mine," Barricade finally growled out. Apparently he was confident enough to bet on his clan.

_Perhaps_, she thought blithely, _that's because he believed his resurrected leader could defeat the Autobot's Prime._

Seeing how Decepticon forces had been dominating the Autobot forces in most of the past battles, Kagome had to agree that his decision was not made lightly.

However, this was still one bet she was sure to win.

The raven haired girl shot him a winning smile. "Then before this day end, you'll be calling me Kagome-sama, dearest Barricade."

After all, despite how low she had fallen these days, the miko had once been in the Red Masks' position. She, of all people, knew more about the need to protect than anyone else.

That power, she found, always triumph over all.

* * *

_So when all was said and done, she really didn't mean to treat him like that. She hadn't planned on keeping him _alive_ much less as her _'guardian'_. But well, what happened, happened. _

_Besides, with him around, she didn't think that she would be bored anytime soon. Not when she could feel _them_ thrumming alive once again – fainter but definitely present; not when the Autobots were planning 'Con hunting in the near future; and most of all, not with her oncoming plan to test the extent of the power that _they_ passed down to her and the other boy when the Cube – _their_ container, was destroyed._

_Kagome grinned at the ceiling._

_'And to think that this all started because I was bored that day.'_

* * *

1. Vorn = Cybertronian time measure unit; 83 human years equivalent, give or take

2. Aft = Cybertronian curse word; equivalent of 'ass'

3. Slagger = Cybertronian slang word for something unpleasant

A/N: If you want to know more Cybertronian terms, just look at Transformer Dictionary by PagenGodessOfTime

C'mon someone! Do write some Trans/Inu crossover as well. Here I'll keep looking for some plot-bunnies for you. Hey bunnies, bunnies, bunnies... :3


	3. A Summer Interlude

Disclaimer: _I own nothing

* * *

_

"I wonder what they are doing now," Kagome mused absent-mindedly one summer day, more or less a year after obtaining her spoil of war, completely disregarding the fact that it was not a war and she didn't fight in it at all.

Barricade cycled his air harshly. After a while staying with this slip of a girl, he realized that she was not quite right in the head but at the same time, sane enough to know the consequences of her actions. All she lacked was the remorse in executing them.

He had seen the girl watched minor crimes in front of her without reacting at all.

"_Eh? You want to save her?" she asked once when he commented on her blatant disregard at a robbery of a young lady by a gang of teenage boys. "Well, you are welcome to do so really. I mean, crime happens every day and there are more than enough humans in this world. One missing can't hurt it much."_

There was one time when a Decepticon was revealed in an Australia's highway and in its battle with N.E.S.T. Instead of commanding him to help the Autobot as he had feared, she merely turned tail and ran as per instruction of the soldiers.

_She laughed as they raced away from the destruction that shook the earth behind them. "I wonder how the government is going to cover this one up." Kagome patted his steering wheel. "I thought we'd be free from them in this country since apparently it isn't so, any preference for our next home, 'Cade?"_

"_You don't care for them?" he intoned almost curiously. He still held some reservation against the girl. _

"_Should I?" she sounded genuinely surprised."They are of no importance to me."_

_He didn't reply._

But since that day, he knew that her moral values were quite different from the normal humankind standard good or bad. In her world, only promises were sacred. In the past year, he had learned to rely on that. Once she gave her words, she never back down from them.

"Hoo. Interesting. It seems that the Autobot will be dispatched in Qatar to hunt down Scorponok," Kagome said blithely, her headphone firmly in place. The screen of her laptop showed a list of names, places, statistical data and all the information feed she deem important enough to be viewed.

The mech who was doing maintenance on his servos didn't bother to look up from what he was doing. "So?"

She only flashed that damnable smile at him before commanding the computer to shut down all the unnecessary windows. He had learned quickly not to underestimate the technology that his captor – no, his _ward_ had. Even after all this time living with the girl, Barricade still could not fully grasp the concept that within her reside the AllSpark.

Well, a part of it anyway – another resided in that Ladiesman217.

But unlike him, she was able to access the vast information the Cube stored and she did so frequently thus some of her technology were already tinkered with and upgraded.

Her knowledge was not the only thing Barricade had to deal with. Her power was still a mystery to him. It came as called and she had enough to fuel some machinery but not to give life to them. The Japanese was often frustrated because of this.

"_It seems I still do not have enough to use it on my own," she said. "I'll need Sam if I ever want to animate these things." The motorbike she was trying to animate was nothing more than scrapmetal, unable to withstand the power she charged it with."Too bad. I actually liked that bike."_

_That comment was the last she uttered about the expensive top-of-the-line motorbike she had just bought a day before._

Kagome Higurashi was a wealthy woman, not to mention influential in certain areas (mostly behind-the-scenes power in several different countries). Although her reputation of being a wildcard made her an undesirable tool to be messed with. She was left alone…for most part.

Being a 'guardian' of a fleshling still left a bitter taste in his glossa. Before, Barricade had always prided himself to be one of the Decepticon elite but the girl had been able to subdue him with several well aimed EMP pulse near his spark chamber and more sensitive wirings. It was, to put it shortly, insulting for a melee-trooper like him.

"I want the drone," the girl smiled benignly, belying the evil intention that coated her words. "But doing so may draw their attention to us." She looked at him, grinning like a fool he knew she was anything but. "What do you think, 'Cade?"

"No matter what I say, you'd still chase after it," he said drily. "When do we leave?"

She grinned. "You know me too well." She jumped up from her seat, sauntering towards the bathroom. "Tomorrow we'll head for Middle East. I'll book the ticket for us."

It was a command, the one thing that never failed to irk him. "One would think with all that money you would have a private jet."

"Too high maintenance," she explained blithely. "Besides, I'm easier to track if I have something like that." With that, the girl sauntered towards her bed and promptly dropped to sleep despite the sun that was shining harshly outside.

Barricade vented out another cycle of hot air. His current master was a package of quirky habits.

Why couldn't he ever have a sane master?

* * *

A/M: I know this is an impossible story; I mean Kagome and Barricade would never meet and also they are wayyy OOC. I tried but hey, this is what I think could happen when a powerful girl became crazy enough. A little Mary-sue but we all need a dose of ehr every now and then no? :3


	4. Against the Odds

Disclaimer: Noppppeee, still nada.

* * *

"Whoa, take a look at that," Kagome whistled in appreciation at the chaos that was brewing at the desert far below them. Dressed in traditional black abayya and hijab along with a veil, the girl looked like another Qatari woman. "The little one can take care of himself after all."

The feral glint on her eyes did not bode well for him.

"It was Blackout's once," Barricade informed the fleshling, listening to the hidden question in her statement. "He trained it well."

"For terran fights," said the smug girl. "I wonder if he'd let me modify him to an amphibian model. It will be beneficial for future encounters."

"Assuming N.E.S.T. leaves enough scraps for us to scrounge up," the black mech drawled lazily. He never had a strong enough connection with Blackout's drone to feel any obligation to save it from its fate.

Kagome giggled, her blue eyes reflected the sunlight eerily, giving them a sharper look than usual. "Oh, they won't manage to get him, Barricade-kun," she said gleefully. "The military comes prepared, but for this one, even the Autobots will have to retreat."

"What are – "

"Hush," Kagome cut him off. "I can feel it coming." Her eyelids dropped as her arms were spread wide and beneath the veil, he imagined she had an almost content smile, seeing that she dropped most of the tension in her muscles. "Can't you?"

Not one to avoid an accurate detector of the weird and unexpected (a lesson he had learned via losing pride with each smug 'I told you so' after his disbeliefs being proven false) Barricade widened the scope of his sensors. His sensitive senses caught the change in current a few kilometers away.

"Sandstorm!?" he exclaimed harshly, unable to see how his 'charge' could be so calm in such situation. "We have to leave this place!"

Kagome opened her eyes slowly. "Not now. We are close to obtaining our objective," intoned the girl almost monotonously, her gaze not fully focused yet. "Ten minutes window."

"Kagome – "

"Trust me 'Cade," she grinned up adorably at him. "I promise I'll give you a good wash up after this."

Tempting as it was to transform and turn tail from the coming insanity, Barricade found that he was oddly comforted by the promise of future she just gave. By right he should be out of here; by right he should never be standing beside her in the first place; most of all, in the first place, he should never be _caught._

"It better be a good one," he grumbled, folding into his car form.

She giggled, seemingly oblivious to his hesitation. "Of course. Warm water and the best wax polishing ever!" The girl surveyed her 'guardian' with an almost fond look. "Things have really gotten interesting since I met you, 'Cade. I really should thank you for that."

"Che," he mumbled, unsure how to respond to her rare show of gratitude. "Just keep us alive. That is all I ask."

With that he placed his life – and trust – in the hands of this fragile looking femme.

"I promised, didn't I?" she asked, almost solemnly, her blue eyes lucid.

And in that moment, he knew that to her, he was no longer just another toy. That thought brought a surprising amount of ease to his spark.

* * *

"It's here," Kagome said gleefully, her heart pumping adrenalines into her blood by the dozen. She had always loved storms. "It's here, 'Cade, it's here. Ooooh, this is a strong one."

"_If you want me to finish this mission quickly, you'll shut up until it's your turn to talk," _came the gruff voice from her communicator. The mech had left her to race towards the ongoing battle, towards what could be the end of him if he did not tread carefully enough.

She knew that her 'guardian' was still skeptical about her plan but he went with it willingly – much to her surprise. The miko knew enough of his basic instinct to know that his own existence was first priority in his book so this sudden change of heart came as an unexpected.

Or was it really?

"Be careful, Barricade," Kagome warned. "If I have to haul your ass off the brig in Diego Garcia, I'll make sure you'll regret it."

He laughed harshly and the communication was cut. The black Saleen had just reached his destination.

The black Autobot was the first to notice Barricade's entrance. With a loud roar, he charged at the Decepticon – now a neutral as far as she was concerned – with his Gatling gun, most of which was evaded with quick maneuver from her champion.

"Is he not beautiful, my friends?" her clear voice spoke in a language that had been lost since the dispersion of youkai kingdoms. "My chosen one?"

The air around her moved, forming a sort of barrier around her despite the fact that the storm was still quite a few minutes away.

"He used to hate me you know," Kagome confided, releasing her veil to indulge in the hot, humid air. "But I kept him anyway, my most fascinating toy in two centuries." Giggling like a little girl, the miko watched as Barricade fended off the Autobots in his lonesome while the scorpion drone made its escape.

Everything was according to plan.

"But he is a flitting amusement no longer, is he? I think I can feel that he is important to me." The confession was accompanied by a confused frown. "That is not good, no? I cannot help it though." Shrugging, Kagome laughed again. "My chosen thinks that I am insane…but the truth is not so far off, considering what the definition of sane nowadays." Her smile turned sad, her eyes adopting a faraway glaze. "After all, my friends, I can still hear you all, can I not?"

The wind did not react but she had not expected it to.

"So please, take care of him for me," the girl whispered, as if the words were forbidden to her. "This one…I don't think I want to lose him so soon. He is becoming precious to me."

Around her, the air current amplified, heralding the arrival of the storm she had been waiting for. Below, Barricade already made his escape, charging towards the raging wind and sand instead of away from it. As per request, he had kept his connection open for the drone to follow.

Kagome smiled, knowing that his part in this hunt was over without much casualty on his part. Her senses perceived a question, a curiosity about why this one was important; she had many toys before him who stayed longer with her but none of them warranted a request of protection from the element.

"He is mine," she concluded softly, a rare gentleness softened her visage to one of a naïve teenage girl she once was. The smile she wore was bright, clear of any mischief and calculated odds. "But in return, I am also his – well, a part of me at least. But let's keep that a secret a little longer shall we?"

The wind blew gently at her in response and she knew that her guardian would be safe.

With that thought, Kagome left the cliff and made for the coordinate she had given him as their rendezvous point. There was no point in dallying when her ally had arrived. An evil laugh permeated the air as her figure disappeared into the sandstorm.  


* * *

**  
A/N: Am I moving too fast? I think a year or so is enough to establish a basic trust. What do ya'll think?  
**


	5. Hidden Treasures

**Disclaimer: Still not mine…**

* * *

"What took you so long?"

The mech grumbled. "Try racing against the wind and see how well you do."

Kagome smirked. "I am here, aren't I?"

'Here' was a large cavern, hidden by outcrops of mountainous rocks that towered this part of the desert. She told him of the hidden entrance buried within mock quicksand she had made to disguise this sandy refuge of hers. At first he was more than suspicious, not knowing whether or not this was a trap to offline him or a real camouflage since his sensors could not detect a bottom to the quicksand. But she had given him her words and with that conviction, the mech took the leap of faith.

He was rewarded by a sudden sensation of sliding that ended far too soon for his liking and when he regained his optic function back, he was in a chamber lit by glowing moss and his charge was sitting in a throne-like stone waiting for him with a large grin on her face.

"Come," she leaped from her seat to his uninjured shoulder. "Let's get you clean up. The battle was not at all easy."

It might be a trick of light but for a moment, she seemed to send a regretful look at the sight of his injuries. As she directed him pass numerous turns and through many carved doors, Barricade noticed that most of the structure was covered in strange energy pattern – one that eluded his scan no matter how he tried it. Not to mention, it could accommodate a mech with the size of Prime easily and still have space to spare.

"This place is ancient," he commented, hoping to fish more information about it from her. "And not a creation of human."

She smiled. "Oh? Is it not? Then who built it, 'Cade?" Kagome questioned him, her amusement palpable. He did not inquire further; if she did not reply the first time, it was futile to ask the second time.

"This lair…I have made some adjustment of my own. And don't bother trying to map the place, 'Cade. The maze changes daily," the girl said again.

"How?" his question was more out of obligation than curiosity. Living with her for a year had pretty much numbed him to most of the unexplainable in the human world. There were times when he was better off not knowing.

Kagome grinned and with a wink she replied mischievously. "Magic."

Barricade snorted. "If you don't want to answer, just say so."

"Maa, people nowadays are so hard to please," she pouted. "That one."

The door she pointed to was no different than the ones he had pushed open but instead of revealing another corridor, it led into a room filled to the brim with the latest technology – computers, spare-parts, cables crisscrossing from the ceiling, all contrasted with the rustic background that the entire cave had. However, something greater held his attention. She motioned for him to let her down.

"What…how?" came his perplexed inquiry, his optics recording the crybertronian glyphs carved onto the cave surface, each glowing with unnamed energy that together, weaved an intricate pattern not unlike a beautiful rug.

"Saa," she shrugged. "They are already in my head long before you came and they look pretty so why not?"

Even without her saying it, Barricade gathered easily that the symbols served more purpose than mere decorations. However, as usual, if she did not tell, he did not ask. Their relationship was strange that way and he would have it no other way for he too, harbor vorns worth of secret, none of which he was eager to share with anybody especially this slip of a girl.

Although at times, he felt that she already knew all that he had to hide.

With no small amount of caution, Barricade watched the girl moved to the empty area, gesturing at him to follow. "This is my work area. Make yourself comfortable."

"I can repair these myself," the black mech told her after he settled down, his claws were already moving towards his injuries to start self-repair.

"Not as fast, not as good," she sing-songed, brandishing a well-worn looking screwdriver. "We've been through this before so shut up and stay still."

He complied. Her commands demand subservience and sometimes, he put up no fight.

"No using Allspark powers," he warned, not one to go down so easily.

The girl laughed. "For a patient you are very demanding."

Nevertheless, her energy became more subdued. Barricade smirked inwardly. Sometimes, the little spitfire gave ground.

What a strange partnership he had found himself tied into.  


* * *

"When will the drone join us?" she asked while doing reparations for one of the more major tears that Barricade had procure from grappling with Prime himself. While he knew it was a stupid move, there was that or risk getting caught if he retreated prematurely.

"When we are out of here," Barricade relayed. "I don't want to risk discovery, not even for that drone. He will wait for us to surface before following."

She hummed. "Good call." She patted his plating, one she had just finished soldering shut.

Barricade felt the energy of Allspark washed over him from her unintentional discharge and saw her subtle frown. Her touch – not matter how inconsequential always made him shudder. It frustrated the hell out of her; the girl never liked having a weapon she did not have absolute control on.

On the other hand, the energy field that she could no longer fully contained sent jolts of pulses down his system, making him feel all tingly and sometimes, excited. It was not a good thing, especially considering the source of it – a girl who would not hesitate to stoop at anything to get what she wanted.

The mech had a feeling that if she had been born a Cybertronian, she would fit well with the Decepticon.

He mentioned this to her. Laughing, she said cheerfully. "Well, I suppose I'm flattered you have even thought of me in the context of your kin, 'Cade. But in all honesty, if I had a choice, I'd be a neutral instead."

"Why?" Barricade didn't want to admit it but he was perplexed; he had thought that this particular girl reveled in fights and bloodshed.

"I'm just feeling sentimental," she said with a soft smile, one of the few genuine ones he could tell. "I was once pure and untainted and that was the best time of my life."

The mech had a difficult time picturing her being an innocent. Kagome chuckled as she resumed her work, as if knowing what he was thinking.

"What is this place?" Barricade finally asked after all the primary concerns were taken care of.

The moss that covered the caverns were bright enough to mimic the brightest of light bulbs and although there were some top-of-the-line technologies upgrading the place, Barricade would tell that this place was ancient…and almost suffocating in its intensity. Aside from the familiar Cybertronian glyphs, carvings of symbols he had never seen nor were they published in the internet covered the structure but aside from the few pillars that were carved more for aesthetic purpose than construction, the place was bare of any other decorations.

Kagome sighed sadly, a real sadness instead of her usual exaggerated pout. "This place was once the home of a great being. He left and I took over."

It was all she gave in lieu of explanation. Leaping easily onto his shoulder plate, the fleshing made herself comfortable.

"The scorpion is not the only thing I bring you here for," the raven haired girl said before directing him further into the maze-like caverns. "This continent is rich but most of the minerals are unusable to humans…or undetectable."

Now the dirt walls were plainer, their natural texture was left untouched, leading Barricade to believe that this part was not the original design. They stopped in front of a basalt door, its design crude but from his scan he knew it was covered with a strange energy reading; one that was much stronger that what he had found covering the entire cave walls. However, his musing was soon replaced by intrigue when the girl on his shoulder undid the gate's seal.

Once the energy field disappeared, Barricade felt numb – from shock and partly denial.

"I found this place almost a century ago." he vaguely heard her said, his optics focused more on the opening gates. "Earth magic is very saturated here. No normal humans would ever enter this place alive. Until now it remains one of the prettiest sights I have ever seen." Kagome jumped down from her perch, sauntering into the largest cave in the caverns' system. Pink crystals covered the place, ranging from her height to ones larger than him, from bottom to its roofs – each piece of mineral gave out a glow he was very, very familiar with.

"It looks like a paradise doesn't it, Barricade?" her sweet voice broke through the daze he had descended into. He caught her smug grin but for once the melee trooper had no smart-assed comment to throw back. Laughing, the girl ventured deeper into the cave, trusting him to follow her as she twirled and leaped from one rock to another.

And in the midst of energon crystals, the dancing hellion had never looked more angelic.

* * *

A/N: How is that for an ending? Nfufufufu.

I gave quite some mysteries in this chapter, see if you can find them. Any questions will be answered in later chapter when we know better about Kagome's past so...be patient and stay tune, ne. And alsoooo, now we know that Kagome could interact with the 'bots in a more soul-to-soul kind of thing. The real twist is coming up pretty soon. Hehehe. Please review. You all give me such a brilliant inspiration!


	6. No End to Surprises

**Disclaimer: Not mine still...

* * *

**

"When you said that he would be a trouble, I wasn't really expecting this," Kagome remarked quietly to her guardian who was watching her every move with amusement.

Snugly hidden between shades of stone outcrops several metres above her, the black mech chuckled. "Drone or not, I think it likes freedom too much to be tied to a master again," relayed the Decepticon to her com. "It refuses even me."

Before she could give him any cheek, the sudden tremor beneath her feet prompted her to jump high into the air and away from the sudden assault that came from within the earth as the scorpion-built machine broke through the sand surface with his claws ready to rend her body to shreds. Landing softly, the girl sighed as the drone once again buried itself into the ground.

"This is getting aggravating," she huffed, closing her eyes to get a better feel of the drone's life force. The wind was useless in this battle where earth played the part of a shield to her enemy.

The only spectator of this battle sipped his energon carefully, almost reverently, an act that she found amusing but never commented on. "It was your decision," he reminded her. "If it was up to me, it'll be scrapmetal under N.E.S.T. firearms that first day."

"I know that," her tone was petulant. "And now hush. I need to concentrate."

Just after she finished that sentence, the scorpion appeared again, this time directly in front of her. "Shit!" the girl cursed before reflexes kicked in and the drone received the end of her EMP blaster.

*Snick*snick*sknittt*

The drone twitched on the ground, its inner system malfunctioning from overload.

"Easy pie," Kagome chuckled proudly. "He is nothing compared to you, Barricade. Last time we sparred you lasted ten blasts before going down. I KO'ed him with only one hit."

Barricade was incensed. "It's a drone."

"Oh, I know," she replied with a cheeky smile over her shoulder. "I just like that look on your face."

Barricade cycled his vent almost huffily, a human expression he had picked up after spending practically all the time with a squishy. "We have no expression like you humans do."

Kagome grinned widely, turning back to the drone to hide it from him. "But I know you better now to discern the small changes in your faceplates, 'Cade." As if without care, the girl sauntered towards her fallen prey. "Has he a name?"

"_Scorponok,"_ he intoned in Cybertronian, a series of grinding machines to human ears.

"Cute," the girl's voice faded into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Adrenaline and endorphin were prominent in her bloodstream as his scanner indicated.

"You have to stop getting high after a fight," Barricade mentioned in passing. "Keep doing that, you'd be dead once your focus is compromised."

"Eh?" Kagome looked up to the cliff he was hidden in; her voice mirrored the confusion in her expression. "You mean you don't know yet?"(1)

"About what?" he snarked. "Your insanity? That's old news."

The raven haired girl indulged herself with another long laughter. "Silly Barricade. If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you now." With that, she motioned for him to get down. Barricade finished his energon and morphed into his vehicle form, making his way down the hill through a series of tunnels.

"We'll make for the airport," she said, getting inside him all the while looking pristinely clean. "My people will take care of him. We'll have Scorponok with us when we arrive."

Kagome's people. Although he had never meet them face to face, Barricade had experience firsthand their efficiency in executing orders from the background – extremely so. From the meager assignments like preparing her accommodation in a select area to plummeting the stock market value on the base that she was bored. _(People were panicking and she had a good laugh at that before restoring it the day after. Even then she was in hysterics to see the chaotic aftermath.)_

"Where are we staying at next?" he asked as they raced through the desert dwellings. Stone buildings, the color of desert, blended with their surroundings seamlessly. How its residents could stand loitering around with ease under the midday sun still astounded him at times. Barricade knew enough of human biology to realize just how uncomfortable this temperature would be for the organics.

Kagome mulled over it for a moment, "Washington. There is a problem that needs to be addressed personally there."

He truly didn't want to ask; he had seen her _normal_ and though until this point in time he was lucky enough to never encounter one, Barricade still dreaded knowing what she considered _problem. _

"It's not that bad, 'Cade," Kagome laughed as if reading his thoughts (though it would not surprise him if she really did). "Just a compulsory meeting that is all."

"With who?" he questioned – he had been doing a lot of it since he met her, then again meeting her alone seemed to open the gates to a whole new world altogether, one that was beyond the reach of this planet's World Wide Web. The Saleen supposed it was worth getting new and most likely exclusive knowledge about the side of this planet that no other living being and/or sentient knew about.

Kagome smirked lightly. "My father."

Barricade skidded out of the faded track, almost hitting one of the resident's goats in his surprise.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

(1) Well, that's something to note. Curious yet?

A/N: Yeap, that's officially the end of Scorponok Ark. A semi-cliffhanger, ne? Who's this father of our ancient 'teenager' is? Stay in tune people! Chapter 7 is in the making! And to those who reviewed, thank you! Your reviews mean a lot to me and I'm sorry for not replying as often as I should.


	7. Interlude: Kaleidoskop

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing…**_

_**Title: Kaleidoskop - different sides of her**_

_**Setting: In the cave before Barricade returns from distracting the Autobots**_

_

* * *

_

_Dear Kagome,_

_Be back in a week. New prototype demonstration. There is much to prepare._

_Love,_

_Dad_

It was short and to the point but the trouble that it brought her was enormous. In three short sentences, the email already dictated her actions: go back to Washington HQ, catch up with the latest business trends and gossips, pick up a dress, call her personal hairstylists and start acting like a millionaire's doll that she was.

Though in a shorter and less favored manner, it basically told her: _Vacation's over._

Simple.

And simultaneously brought more complications than she'd liked to have.

Funny thing was, two years ago she had not thought those complications would ever exist.

What to tell Barricade for one. While she had had him for more than a year as her constant companion, this part of her life was not something that she was ready to share freely with him just yet. This side of her where she was a slithering snake garbed in the finest of silk and endowed with the best that the world could offer but in exchange she had to mingle with a race she hated more than anything.

Kagome didn't want him to know that her yet.

…

The young-looking girl chuckled lowly before it turned into a full-blown laughter. "Kagome, Kagome, just who are you trying to kid?" she asked, her amusement palpable.

It was never about him.

She was not the one who was not ready to return to that yet.

She wanted to remain the adventurous and crazy girl who had too much time in her hands and more power than was wise under her command.

But her _Father_ would not recall her if there was no emergency.

Kagome sighed heavily, twirling her office chair. "There shouldn't even _be_ a consideration."

Her choice should be clear.

"You have no idea how true that statement is, milady," a voice cut through her musings. Instead of being surprised, Kagome only smiled at the figure that emerged from the shadows.

The smell of ozone marked his entrance, letting her know that GATE was used. Her latest piece of reinvention from Cybertronian technology that allowed a portable transporter to be activated at will. Some of the ancient Primes would balk at the idea that their Warp Gate was modified to suit her various self-indulging ventures – blasphemous! Kagome grinned before facing her visitor.

"You're late," the miko admonished acerbically. "Not something I expected from you, Hideyoshi."

The man smirked at his employer. "Just as I never take you for someone who think twice before deciding, Kagome-sama. You are your first priority after all. Why change now?"

Kagome glared balefully at the dark haired man, her blue eyes glowed threateningly. "Watch that mouth of yours, Hide."

The tall Asian man gave a curt bow. "Of course, Kagome-sama."

"I suppose the container is ready?" Kagome questioned just as shortly. Her temper was rarely good when meeting with this subordinate of hers. "I can't have a drone tracing our HQ just because you got careless."

Brown eyes were indignant when the owner replied, "We will put the drone in stasis before we transport him back to headquarter. It will never know its location."

"Good," said the girl, satisfied with his report. "Barricade should be back soon. I'll stun the scorpion long enough for you guys to stuff it in and transport it back."

Silence reigned in the cave, disrupted only by the humming of machineries around them.

One of the computers suddenly sprang to life, static filling the screen while harsh grinding noise was produced. One that might not mean anything to ignorant humans but Kagome knew better. She wished she didn't though. It would make life much easier.

Hideyoshi caught her grimace at the Cybertronian encrypted message. "He knows you have this?"

Kagome shot an annoyed scowl at him. "I don't think so. He'd be gone if he does."

"So he doesn't know you disabled his transmitter yet?"

His smug face was truly inviting a punch, but she refrained no matter how tempted she was. "He knows. But then again, he knows that he's still mine. I am entitled to do what I want and there is no way he would say no." her smile was arrogant. "My mech is honorable like that."

"He is loyal, first to them before to you," Hideyoshi voiced the problem that has been rolling in her head since she heard Starscream's transmission the first time. "His involvement with them predates you by several hundred times your age, milady. You should not expect him to stay."

"Of course I don't," she replied, almost somberly. "Doesn't mean I won't keep him in the end."

Hideyoshi's chuckle sounded mocking in her ears. "He'll rebel."

"I'm stronger than him. I can subdue him."

"He is cunning. You will break free, eventually."

Kagome glared at the lack of faith he showed. "It will be a new game then. I won't be bored either way."

He gave his master a searching gaze, reading her as easily as she did him. "But you don't want him to." He concluded, his eyes widened with amazement. "You actually _care_ for him."

Her silence was more telling than any words her mouth could ever say. Unable to contain his mirth, Hideyoshi laughed, genuine and grating at the same time, ignoring completely Kagome's glowering eyes as she watched him mocked her in silence.

"You're repeating the same mistake again, Kagome-sama," the dark haired man stated patronizingly. "Getting attached, that is."

"Still none of your business, Hide," Kagome warned. "And I will return to see Father. You can be sure of that."

Hideyoshi shook his head wearily. "Not with this kind of trouble, you won't. We have too much riding on our anonymity to chance him going Judas on us, milady."

Teeth bared threateningly, Kagome rose from her chair. "He is mine!"

"His temporary alliance," Hideyoshi snarled back. "Not his loyalty. You cannot even decide if you trust him or not! Else you going to Washington will not be a problem at all!"

She flinched back as if slapped. His words, while cruel, described her insecurities perfectly. "I can have anything I want. Even his loyalty."

Hideyoshi smiled sadly. "You know that is not so, Kagome-sama. Even if you act like a child more often than is good for you, we both know you are aware that there are some things you cannot force." He approached the volatile girl carefully. "Given time, he can be yours, but time is not a luxury that we have."

Kagome rolled her eyes, sitting back on her comfortable chair. "I thought that is the only thing we have in abundance."

"There is another war brewing. One that will make you a target because of the power you inherited from the AllSpark and that in return will reveal your most coveted secret – your immortality(1)," Hide kneeled in front of his master, taking her hand in his. "Our idle days are numbered."

Her expression was steadfastly rebellious however, but his sincere worries eroded it. "I know," she finally relented. "I felt the presence of another Prime outside our atmosphere."

"We confirmed it," Hideyoshi reported. "The _Nemesis._ Decepticon's warship."

"A corrupt Prime then," she chuckled although her heart was not in it. "Or an imprisoned one. Barricade memories did not give me enough data on this new adversary."

"That is not all," prompted the man. "We know there are more, but our scanners are not advanced enough to penetrate their defenses without getting spotted."

Kagome frowned. "We'll have to rectify that."

"Our science department is already working on it."

Sighing, Kagome leaned back in her seat as her servant stood. "There are hundreds of little ones in there, Hide. Dying, starving, at the verge of their birth only to die due to malnutrition. The Decepticons may not be attacking purely on the principle of revenge."

"We don't know that," Hideyoshi shook his head. "It is best if we stay out until we receive more information."

"Agreed." The girl was silent as she mulled over the possible scenarios in her head.

"He cannot stay," Hideyoshi said, softly but firmly.

It cut through her thoughts abruptly. The girl glared at him, masking the flinch that reflected the sharp throb in her chest. "That is remained to be seen."

Hideyoshi did not say anything, his brown eyes bore into her blue ones deeply. It was the understanding in them that made her break their staring match.

"Our kingdom is strong, milady," he said. "However we are supported by one central pillar and we cannot afford to lose it to a passing fancy." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "We cannot afford to lose _you_. Without you we are lost."

"He is mine," her stubbornness held strong.

Hideyoshi nodded. "I never said otherwise, nevertheless he cannot stay. We cannot trust him."

For a second, the girl looked like she was about to cry but then she slapped away his hand. The malice burning in her eyes at his presumptuous behavior indicated the return of his selfish, taciturn master.

"It is not your place to dictate what I should or should not do, Hideyoshi," Kagome stated arrogantly. "I _created_ you only to do my biddings, _puppet_. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I did," he replied shortly, his antagonistic attitude returning. "I cannot stand seeing you lead us all to ruin by your rashness, milady. That is too much like Inuyasha-sama than we'd all would prefer."

Without warning, her aura lashed out uncontrollably – both her natural and Allspark birthed ones, her fingers were buried deep into the man's throat, piercing his larynx with precise intent. "It took me years to mold you to perfection, Hideyoshi; it will only take a word from me to end you – permanently."

Blood gurgled into his lungs and his breathing became shallow, yet the smile remained. "Y-you won't," he rasped confidently, coughing out blood when she ripped out her fingers out viciously. "I'm still your favorite retainer, Kagome-sama."

She regarded her oldest adjutant coldly. "You need a reminder that nothing in my world is irreplaceable," the girl smirked emptily. "Not you, not Barricade, not even my kingdom. Just like you said, dearest Hide, _I_ am my most important concern. Now stop bleeding on my ground. Barricade will be asking questions if there is too much fresh blood lying around."

A soft glow around the wound that lasted for a brief second later, Hideyoshi cough one last time before standing up, his throat unblemished expect for signs of drying blood. "I just bought this suit, Kagome-sama." He complained good-naturedly as he took off his tie to wipe the remaining red liquid off his skin.

"You have a closet full of them," she dismissed easily. Absently, the girl looked over the room she was vacating. "Tell me Hideyoshi; just how precious is this base to us?"

Hideyoshi looked around, taking in the carvings of Cybertronian glyphs mixing with the invisible energy network that was made by the magic of the Sandworm youkai who once occupied these caves, he calculated the consequences of it exposure to outside world.

"Nothing compromising is inside," he finally concluded. Giving her a mocking smile, he reported acerbically. "Even should this place be discovered because of your penchants for dramatics, there will be no dire consequences to us. Not if we move all these machines out of this place with GATE. The worst damage will be the loss of energon mine."

"We have bigger ones all across the world," Kagome mentioned, nodding to herself. "Yup, we can lose this place then."

"What –"

"Just clean out this place after Barricade and I leave, Hide. We have no more need for this," commanded the miko. "This will be my investment for this war. I won't be someone without power over them."

Her knowledge of energon mines would be her leverage over the Cybertronians, both Autobots and Decepticons alike.

"It is as you wish," Hideyoshi bowed. "If that is all?"

"Yes, go. Barricade is going to be here anytime now," she gave a dismissive wave.

He bowed once more, the diamonds on his watch glowed eerie blue and in an instant, he was swallowed by a vortex of energy. Kagome smiled when she smelled the ozone that permeated from the distortion of space that just happened in front of her.

Now all she had think about was how to break the news to Barricade that Starscreams was gathering all Decepticons on Earth.

And readied herself to let him go…let her fun self meet its end.

Well, it was time, she supposed.

_All good things always end, _she thought morosely. _But I was hoping that this could last just a little longer._

She moved out of the room, heading towards the entrance where Barricade would appear – if he trusted to the coordinate she set as their rendezvous point.

She'd subdue the drone.

Then she'd tell him about Starscreams' message.

And Kagome had known Barricade long enough to not hope that he'd stay.

…

Pity.

"Ah well, I've had my fun."

While striding towards the rendezvous point, Kagome ignored the dull throb in her heart that she thought was covered safely under permafrost of indifference.

* * *

(1) The secret that she was talking about last time in chapter 6. See A/N in chap 6 to see which part. Or drop a question I'll clarify if you can't catch it.

And we also know that this place was not built by humans but by youkai. Nyahaha, finally some answer ne?

**A/N: Barricade is leaving usssss??!!!!! Is he really? Well, lets see, ne?**

**Well, quite a long interlude, but I need you all to know that Kagome is powerful – not only because of the AllSpark but because she is someone influential. In any case, this is set between Movie 1 and 2. Stay in tune for more craziness!!!!**


	8. Vacation Concluded

_**Disclamer: Nope, nothing**_

_**Summary:**_ He decides; she accepts...

* * *

She never believed that she could still hope

_**(It's useless harmful ugly hurtful)**_

It was an ability she had lost long ago

_**(Never needed – takes what she wants; always get her way, always)**_

Still, though all the facts were against her...

_**(He's a Decepticon)**_

Even with Hideyoshi continuing jeers of his absent loyalty towards her…

_**(He didn't trust him **__but she wanted to__**)**_

Although she'd known that he stayed only because of the bet…

_**(But she had wished**_**yearned**_**craved – hoped hoped hoped…)**_

She had still hold a flicker of anticipation that he'd stay – that she meant enough for him to abandon his war for her

_**(Stay for her, become her friend**_**protector**_**comrad**_**ecompanion**_**friend-hers-hers-hers)**_

Well, showed just how foolish she was being

_**(Foolish like the green girl she was when **__they__** left**_**betrayed**_**dehumanized her)**_

She should just stay cold, unfeeling; should separate her affection when using him; should keep in mind the fact that he was _hers _and as such has no say in his life because his life was _hers._

_**(Heart cannot be restrained – his spark is not hers and it **_**hurts!**_**)**_

She would not feel as if a sharp knife had been plunged into her chest and twisted if she did.

_**(It hurts painful**_**agony**_**fire)**_

As Kagome Higurashi watched the black Saleen raced away from her on one of America's many highways, she was reminded why attachment was a futile thing to nourish.

_**(Come back! Return to me! Change your mind!**_

…_**..**_

_**Can't you hear me?!)**_

…

…

…

_**(I'm all alone…)**_

_**(again)**_

* * *

When Hideyoshi picked her up an hour later, he ignored the wetness of her face but smiled at the order he was given.

"From now on, any Decepticon we find _– kill them on sight_."

The dark haired man bowed respectfully.

"As you command, Lady Kagome."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it folk. Our Barricade Arc. What do you think?

Kagome accepts his decision but not quietly (and not quite sanely), mwahahahaha.

Will they become partner again in the future? What about the mysterious Father that Kagome answered to? Just who is this important client he mentioned? Stay tune and find out!


	9. Catalyst

Disclaimer: Still own nothing

* * *

"Do you know that humans are born with a counterpart?"

The ethereal voice seemed to echo from the figure sitting on the rock.

The concept was familiar but he had always thought that they were nothing but old wives' tales.

"I've heard about it somewhat," he told her, his feet moving without his command towards the semi-illuminated silhouette. "Yin and Yang, Light and Darkness." He pondered for a while if he should continue. "Soul mates."

Her giggles reached him easily although he finally stopped a few feet away from her. Surrounding the little isle they were on was a dark lake – he didn't know how he knew that when it stretched as far as the eyes could see – and above them, the galaxy scattered like thousands of millions of fireflies contrasting against the canvas made of space's black hue. If he tilted his head in a certain way, he believed he could see Venus' orange sheen shining like a beacon of light.

"It is not always so. Pairings do not equal to opposite," a blob of light appeared in her hand, bright enough only to reveal a pair of seemingly fluorescent blue eyes. "Opposites are not always complimentary. There are many ways to construe a soul-bond, little one."

He bristled slightly at the nickname. "I don't want to hear that from you." She couldn't be that much older than him – if she was indeed. She looked young enough to pass as a junior high school girl.

An amused smile appeared before it disappeared when the light dimmed. "By now you should know better than to judge by appearance, no?"

He remained unimpressed. "I think you are a very weird figment of my imagination," he accused, finally taking a seat a few feet away from her. "I spent too much time with the Autobots."

"Like that partner of yours? The yellow bug?"

Her smile was enigmatic and not a little mocking. He found himself bristling defensively at her tone.

"His _name_ is _Bumblebee,_" he snapped.

"The little scout," she stated. That was the only compromise she was willing to give.

The young boy had no choice but to comply. "Do you have a name?"

Silence was his answer. Somehow getting the feeling that he would get no reply anytime soon, he lied down on the rough ground. The smell of familiar earth that invaded his nostrils brought a sense of comfort in this dark and strange place.

A slab of rock – the biggest one he had seen in his short life – shot over their head, sparkles of luminous gas left a glowing trail after it. He watched in awe as it disappeared soundlessly. Following the comet's trail, his eyes rested on the girl's silhouette. She had her head tilted back, her lips tilted up in a fond smile. Dark hair that flowed freely down to her back reflected the dim light of a passing comet's silvery sheen though her visage remained elusive from his sight.

"Impressive is it not?"

The darkness returned, becoming more pronounced after the lightshow.

"This must be the weirdest dream ever," he declared. And a little disturbing, but there was no way he'd say that out loud.

"Hmm, are you sure that this is only a dream, Sammy?" her blue eyes glinted like glaciers. More comets shot by; illuminating the space and though this phenomenon made an impressive sight, it caused his heart to race with unexpected panic.

This was not a good dream.

"What if I say that it is a memory?" she grinned at him, facing him fully. "Something from the past so long ago that only mother earth knows the entire truth."

Then, the sky moved.

"No…!"

The comets that were passing them collided with a beautiful red planet, their mass burned as they reached the atmosphere creating blazing trails brighter than burning phosphorus and created more damage than the monstrous fight he had witnessed in Mission City.

"Stop it!" he shouted, trying to take control of his dream – or at least to wake up. "I don't want to see it!"

"But it's just getting stated," her voice floated over him, her grin widened – maniacally this time. "The fall of our sister planet."

The silence was deceptive – no sound carried to his ears as each rock destroyed little by little any hope of life in the planet hovering far above their head. He knew, somehow, that there was _life_ disappearing down there; so many unfulfilled lives.

"I don't want to see it!"

He covered his head with his arms, shielding his eyes as best as he could from the destruction he knew was happening on Mars.

"It's gone," her wispy words reached him after a period that stretched like hours. In spite of the assurance, he refused to look. This dream-girl was not to be trusted. "So quick to judge." Giggles filled the emptiness of space and again he was reminded just how different life was outside earth.

Gentle fingers treaded through his hair and he felt her kneeling in front of him. "Such a young soul. I wonder if you are truly meant to have _their _power at all…or if you are simply their temporary container."

He wanted to straighten his head to face her directly but her hand was firm in keeping him down.

"You are far too naïve…looking only towards one side of the war," she continued although her voice was becoming more and more distant with each passing word. "But it matters not, I think. Not yet."

The fingers in his hair disappeared and her presence retreated. When he looked up again, the island was empty but for him alone.

"We shall see if you are worth the trouble when we meet again, Samuel Witwicky." The sentence seemed whispered into his ears directly. "Until then, keep the knowledge to yourself – it is not time for it to be shared."

With that, she was gone.

And the universe morphed.

Samuel Witwicky jerked up from his sleep, remembering strange glowing glyphs carved into the darkness of space and nothing else and a growing feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was forgetting something big.

"Can't be that important," he mumbled, rolling back to sleep.

The unease in his heart remained.

* * *

"Kagome-sama, Kagome-sama."

"I heard you the first time, Hideyoshi."

The dark haired man smiled benignly, straitening from his leaning over the young-looking girl. "You failed to respond to my calls for the last five minutes. I was worried."

Kagome scoffed at that, her tone mocking. "Such faith you have in your master."

"Even the strongest is not infallible, Kagome-sama," he said, indifferent to her foul mood. "May I ask what ails you in your meditation?"

Hideyoshi might be treacherous. His inclination towards betraying her when he thought it was necessary kept her on her toes but when the situation called for it, she was still his first priority.

His first master, the only one he was loyal to in the end – she has made sure of it.

"I was dreaming," the immortal girl finally revealed. Her worry was plain to see from her tense countenance. "We might make contact with them sooner than I thought." Her brows furrowed further. "There is an unexpected development."

Hideyoshi wisely refrained from commenting, choosing instead to distract her from her thoughts. From his years with her, he recognized her mounting ire even before it appeared.

"Then perhaps it will be wise to discuss it with your father, Kagome-sama," he said, breaking her out of her plotting, "and best if you do it _after _the coming affair is done with."

A rare expression of surprise flitted over her pale face. It lived for a few milliseconds before being replaced by an disturbingly innocent smile – a smile he thought was more appropriate on her face.

"So true," she stated, chuckling malevolently. "Oh so very true."

The dark haired man_(puppet)_ smiled indulgingly. It was good to see the screw-the-world master back instead of the sentimental one who has appeared when the blasted Decepticon was around.

Hideyoshi looked out of the car window and his smile widened, becoming more genuine.

"We have arrived, Kagome-sama," he announced, a tad redundantly.

She was already fixing her alert blue eyes on the towering glass and metal skyscraper ahead of them; the seemingly inconspicuous building that was their HQ his inside its plainness hundreds of secrets.

"Yes," she responded, only a tad shy from being truly wistful. "Home sweet home."

From the top of the building, a man looked down upon the city from the fully glass wall behind his desk. His sapphire eyes swept across the horizon apathetically until a screen appeared on his window showing a familiar black car entering the building.

A small smirk entered his well-aged face. "Welcome back, Kagome."

* * *

A/N: I lost the original script and with it my motivation. To top that, real life interfered. Sorry for the long wait guys!

Evil Kagome is baaa~ck... Sense the foreboding feelings that this chapter gives out? A lot of clues are inside so any questions...will be answered later. Mwahahaha.

Give me your feedback? Thank you so much guys for your support!


	10. Interlude Gearing Up

_Disclaimer: Transformers and Inuyasha are yet to be in my possession…(dammit)_

* * *

"Your message arrived in the most inopportune moment," the caustic remark was the first she uttered once the raven haired girl entered her father's office.

The man sitting behind the antique mahogany desk smiled at the sight of one Kagome Higurashi striding into the large office with barely concealed annoyance. Although officially he was already in his forties, it did not reflect in his younger-looking visage. With dark hair still untouched by white and sharp brown eyes, Higurashi Soujiro was still one of the most sought after bachelor in this side of the world.

"Whatever you're doing it can't be anything that cannot wait, seeing that you're here," he observed. "It's good to see you in a good shape, especially with the recent…extracurricular activities you seem to be indulging in."

The raven haired girl threw him a glare before it transformed into a resigned frown. She let herself melt into the comfortable leather seat across from her Father. "What is so urgent that I need to be back pronto?"

Laughing softly, the man rang his secretary for refreshment before turning to her with his chin rested on intertwining fingers. "I have not seen you for almost two years and that is the only thing you are concerned about?"

Kagome returned his amiable banter with a cool stare. "You are trying my patience, Soujiro."

"It's either 'Father' or 'Dad' to you, young lady," Soujiro chided. "It's something you need to keep in mind, especially with the direction this world is moving in right now."

That perked her interest – just enough to play along for a little longer. Having to call him 'father' meant a public appearance was necessary in near future and having to get used to it meant there is a high possibility of staying longer than she usually did.

Neither was a desirable alternative for her.

"Something in the human world?" she ventured a guess, her mind already skimming through all the latest news and feedbacks from the various contacts she had all around the globe. Aside from the recent unification of nations in the secret organization – NEST, there was nothing worth noticing.

"Something related to your recent acquisitions," he confirmed her suspicions, both verbal and otherwise he paused to consider his words, "and loss, I suppose."

A brief grimace flitted across her visage before it was covered by a thoughtful frown. "Hm."

"I gather you were expecting this?"

"In a way," Kagome responded vaguely, "Only to a certain extent."

He responded to her distracted mumbling by activating the plasma screen installed in the wall beside his desk. "I'm sensing a but in there somewhere."

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "There are too many variables to be sure right now. Tell me more about the situation before I tell you anything."

"Before I do that, I want your word that you will make a public appearance as soon as possible," Soujiro countered. "Whether in parties or simply making tabloid headline, I don't care. I need you to remain public."

Kagome raised a questioning eyebrow. "I thought with the 'demonstration' you mentioned, it will be inevitable. I have contacted Lina for my dress and wardrobe."

"That's just a simple bio-tech crops presentation," he waved the main reason she was there aside with ease, inciting her ire once more. "You are needed here for something more important."

"Company related?"

"Funnily enough, it relates more to your extracurricular activities than anything else," Soujiro said, amused.

Kagome huffed. "I made sure that none of them will be traced back to the company."

"As far as your luck goes, it doesn't have to," the Japanese man flipped through the channels, stopping at the image of an old Japanese fortress located in the middle of a mountain with rocky terrains surrounding it, making any attempt to enter it by land impossible.

"Naraku's castle," Kagome said nostalgically. "It's been a while since I step foot in it."

"Ten years and seven months to be exact," Soujiro confirmed. "Not since I adopted you as Kagome Higurashi once more."

Kagome smiled at the remembrance. "It was a good move. I can finally use this name without reservation."

Adoption by Soujiro Higurashi was a part of their continuous tradition. A Higurashi head always adopt an heir, never producing one. It was a façade that she has maintained for centuries to make sure that her identity remained hidden.

Once she took over, she would make another puppet to act as the person succeeding her and waited for another generation before making appearance as the heir once more.

Soujiro, by far, was her most influential puppet compared to others before him.

"But I'm sure you did not call me back only to reminisce about old days. What is going on, _Dad_?" she asked impatiently.

Soujiro sighed heavily, "I was given a heads-up. Something big is brewing in the US military."

When she did not push, Soujiro continued. "Strangely, I also received similar warnings from different people in other countries' military as well."

"About what?"

Kagome could see where this was going to and she could not decide if she liked it or not

"They are going to push us for advanced weapons," he continued. "It's only a matter of time."

"We sell no weapons – not to individual, faction or any countries," Kagome cut in. Dealing weapons was one activity Kagome refused to let her company deal with. It involved too many dirty politics and trouble for her taste.

"They know that already," Soujiro said, miffed at the interruption. "But now they know that we have one of the most – if not the most – powerful arsenals on earth," Soujiro said with not little distaste.

Revelation without their planning was not his cup of tea either.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Which are limited in number and only enough to power our paramilitary."

Which was big enough in size to be considered a small army.

Soujiro shrugged. "They don't know that, do they?"

"Speaking of knowing, I wonder how that info surface in the first place," she frowned, not liking where that particular line of thoughts is leading to. "Especially when it's private matter."

"Our people are conducting screening as we speak," Soujiro informed her.

Her _People_ – the legion of puppets that Kagome had created to assist her. While not as refined as Soujiro or Hideyoshi, they were effective in their work and they did it unseen.

"And reinforce our firewalls as well. If this is regarding our alien friends, I'd rather they not hack into our accounts," Kagome frowned, realizing that in the software department, her defenses were still weak.

That would have to be rectified shortly.

"Done. Our collective system has been firewalled and locked. It can only be accessed through the main terminals."

Kagome applauded silently at herself for thinking ahead and created only two ports where her most important and confidential data could be accessed in times of emergency – one in her House which had been fortified by the newest tech and abundance of kekkai and another portable one which she carried with her all the time.

"Excellent, but I still do not see the point of you calling me here." It was a small lie but it didn't hurt to confirm her forming suspicion. "Who do you want me to deal with?"

Soujiro smiled placidly, switching the screen to a visual of a certain island that she had gotten to known so well from watching the Autobots activities.

"NEST."

* * *

A/N: Kagome's empire starts to make an appearance. I promise more Cybertronian will come up later. I will be focusing more on Kagome than anything else though. Sorry for the long wait dearest readers but I have been delayed by real life. Thank you for reading this story.


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